US media giant Paramount has acquired the domestic media rights to mixed martial arts’ Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in a blockbuster $7.7 billion agreement, securing the popular promotion from rival ESPN, the Disney-owned sports broadcaster.
The seven-year deal, beginning in 2026, sees Paramount become the exclusive US distributor of UFC’s top-line numbered events (13 per year) and secondary Fight Night events (30 per year) via its Paramount Plus OTT streaming service.
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Additionally, select numbered events will be broadcast on linear TV through Paramount’s CBS network simultaneously with the Paramount Plus coverage.
This deal spells the end for the pay-per-view model at UFC, with all premium UFC events available to Paramount Plus customers at no extra cost.
Speaking on the partnership, Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer at UFC parent company TKO, commented: “Paramount is a platinum partner with significant reach.
“Our new agreement unlocks powerful opportunities at TKO for years to come – meaningful economics for investors; expanded premium inventory for global brand partners; and deeper engagement for UFC’s passionate fanbase. Just as importantly, our athletes will love this new stage.”
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By GlobalDataRecently, WWE, another TKO property, agreed a broadcast deal with ESPN to showcase its own ‘premium live events’ (formerly known as pay-per-views) on the service at no extra cost, signifying a strategic shift away from the pay-per-view model.
Paramount also stated it is considering acquiring further UFC rights in international territories as they become available, pre-empting a more global co-operation between the two.
Back in January, it was reported that UFC was seeking over $1 billion per year as part of the rights deal, which has now been achieved with the $1.1 billion annual terms of the contract, which represents more than triple the $315 million per year it receives from ESPN.
That deal, which began in 2019, was struck in May 2018 and originally included streaming rights before being quickly expanded to encompass linear TV rights, and just as it had started in 2019 was extended from five to seven years and expanded to include pay-per-view (PPV) distribution, such is the faith between the broadcaster and the MMA market leader. ESPN also owns UFC’s extensive historical video catalog.
ESPN did have an exclusive negotiation window with UFC that ran between January and April 2025, but it did not come to fruition, despite Shapiro making it known that the promotion saw “a long-term future with ESPN” and had wanted a renewal.
This broadcast partnership is the first agreed by Paramount since its major merger with Skydance, which was completed on August 7.
Paramount’s burgeoning DTC division (including Paramount Plus), which grew strongly in the second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, will be led by 18-year Netflix veteran Cindy Holland.
David Ellison, who became the chair and chief executive of Paramount following the transaction, said: “Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms.
“Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win.”
Paramount’s CBS Sports network holds rights to several major properties, including European club soccer’s UEFA Champions League, American football’s NFL, PGA Tour golf, and top-tier college sports. In 2024, it aired the most-watched NFL Super Bowl in history.
